States with the Most Federal Funding

Total federal spending for fiscal year 2011 is estimated to be $3.6 trillion, according to the Office of Management and Budget’s 2012 Mid-Session Review. Much of this amount was allocated to the states, with the most populous receiving the largest payouts.

The state that received the most in one lump sum was Florida. With 19.1 million residents, the state is the fourth-most populous in the nation. California, on the other hand, has 37.7 million residents, more than any other in the country, yet it received only the third-highest amount of federal dollars that year. Why is this?

States receive given amounts of federal funding for several reasons. Some of it pays for the operation of government agencies, some of it is distributed to contractors and some goes to entitlement programs, among other things.

Using data from USASpending.gov,an OMB website, CNBC.com presents the 10 states that received the most federal dollars per capita in fiscal year 2011. Five of the states are red states, three are blue and two are battlegrounds. Read ahead to see what they are.